1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a playback apparatus and method for playing back data recorded on a recording medium, and a program executed by the playback apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image-capturing apparatuses, such as video cameras and digital still cameras, configured to store information on captured images, such as static images or moving images, onto a recording medium have been widely used. In addition, since the cost of producing high-capacity recording media has significantly decreased, the capacity of recording media used in such image-capturing apparatuses has been increasing.
In a situation in which recording media have a small storage capacity, when the storage capacity of a recording medium runs out, the recording medium is replaced with another recording medium or data is often copied to a high-capacity recording medium, such as a hard disk drive (HDD). However, with the use of such increased-capacity recording media, exchange of recording media or data copying to another recording medium is not often performed. A usage pattern in which captured image information is recorded by being accumulated on the increased-capacity recording medium is considered.
In such a usage pattern, the number of pieces of image information recorded on a recording medium significantly increases. Thus, for an image-capturing apparatus to display image information recorded on a recording medium for the purpose of browsing, a playback function called a “slide-show function” is effective. Generally, for static images, the slide-show function sequentially displays captured image information automatically at predetermined intervals. Thus, it is unnecessary for users to perform operations for selecting captured image information to be displayed. The use of this function becomes more advantageous in accordance with an increase in the number of pieces of captured image information recorded on a recording medium.
A known technology is described, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-336566.
In practice, however, when captured image information is recorded on a recording medium by video cameras or digital still cameras, the captured image information is normally managed in accordance with the order in which images were photographed. Thus, when such captured image information that is managed in accordance with the order in which images were photographed is sequentially displayed using the slide-show function, it is natural to display the captured image information in accordance with the order in which the images were photographed. That is, when the slide-show function is implemented, display of the captured image information starts from the most recently photographed image or from the first photographed image.
In practice, even when the slide-show function is implemented, a user does not necessarily view all the captured image information recorded on a recording medium. Thus, every time a slide show is presented, a user may view only captured image information whose capture time is relatively recent or only captured image information whose capture time is relatively old. It is difficult to view captured image information that is captured at an intermediate photographing time.
That is, for example, when sequential playback using the slide-show function is performed so as to correspond to a management system of recorded data on a recorded medium, playback is performed only in accordance with a predetermined order corresponding to the management system. Thus, there is a variation in the frequency of recorded data viewed, in terms of capture time.